Baltimore Goes Purple

We're going purple to make a meaningful difference by raising awareness about stigma, prevention, substance misuse, the disease of addiction, and support and recovery.Our mission is to raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol, prescription drug misuse, illicit substances, social media harm, overdose, and drug-related poisoning. Educating and empowering Baltimore's residents with life-saving prevention materials, resources, and support.Materials and resources include but are not limited to (click on each to explore):

By standing together, we send a powerful message:

Prevention is real, Resources & Support are available, & Recovery is possible.

About Us

Baltimore Goes Purple Together (BGPT), is committed to breaking the stigma surrounding prevention, substance, mental, behavioral health, and recovery.Addiction is not a moral failing—it is a public health issue that affects individuals, families, organizations, and communities.BGPT is proudly led by the Maryland Peer Advisory Council (MPAC), a peer-led entity dedicated to driving positive change and fostering community well-being.

Mission

Vision

Building a Supportive Community

No one should face stigma, addiction, or mental health challenges alone. At Baltimore Goes Purple Together (BGPT), we are dedicated to breaking down the barriers of stigma and creating an environment where individuals feel safe and empowered to seek support.

Our Approach

BGPT is rooted in engagement and community building. We empower individuals and neighborhoods by fostering education, connection, and action.Whether in traditional or nontraditional spaces, our mission is to:

  • Encourage Awareness: Build understanding of addiction, mental health, and recovery resources.

  • Promote Education: Provide accessible tools and information.

  • Facilitate Navigation: Help individuals connect with the services and support they need.

  • Offer Support: Be a trusted ally in the journey to healing and wellness.

Our Expertise

BGPT Founder and Team Members are:

  • Trained and certified in Peer Recovery Support

  • Maryland Certified Peer Recovery Specialists and/or peers leveraging lived experiences to guide others

  • Guided by a Maryland Registered Peer Supervisor (RPS) who oversees all service areas

BGPT Founder and Team Members are all equipped with extensive training in evidence-based practices to address:

  • Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

  • Trauma-Informed Care

  • Wellness

  • Prevention

  • Substance Misuse

  • Mental and Behavioral Health Recovery

2025. MPAC All Rights Reserved. Proudly Created in honor of Tiarra & Myka

Prevention & Overdose Response

Breaking Barriers and Building Connections

We are committed to identifying and addressing barriers—whether visible, invisible, intended, or unintended—caused by biases and stigma surrounding addiction, wellness, and recovery.
Our goal is to empower youth, residents, and communities by providing education on overdose and poisonings.

Ready to lead through lived experience?

Peer Recovery Specialist Training

Peer Recovery Specialist Certification empowers individuals with lived experience in recovery or reentry to become certified Peer Recovery Specialists. Through hands-on training, mentorship, and workforce placement, participants gain the tools to support others on their journey toward wellness and independence.

All continuing education and training align with standards set by the Maryland Addiction and Behavioral-health Professionals Certification Board (MABPCB).

Peer-Led Engagement

Our outreach is led by people with lived experience—individuals who know the challenges of addiction and the strength of recovery. This peer-to-peer connection creates trust and opens doors to deeper conversations.

You Can Save a Life

Good Samaritan Law

Maryland’s Good Samaritan Law protects individuals who seek help during an overdose emergency from arrest or prosecution for certain low-level drug-related offenses. Its purpose is to encourage anyone—regardless of age—to call for medical assistance without fear of legal consequences.
Through community outreach and overdose response trainings, Baltimore Goes Purple Together (BGPT) and MPAC educate residents about this vital law, ensuring more people understand their rights and feel empowered to act quickly and save a life.

If you See Something, don't run CALL 911. Maryland's Good Samaritan Law protects you.
Every Second Counts. Every Life Matters.

2025. MPAC All Rights Reserved. Proudly Created in honor of Tiarra & Myka

Access to Resources & Support Systems

Outreach Program: Meeting People Where They Are

Our Outreach Program is at the heart of MPAC’s movement—bringing education, resources, and compassion directly to the people and communities who need it most. Through street-level engagement, community partnerships, and trauma-informed outreach, we work to connect individuals with life-saving tools, peer support, and pathways to recovery.

ONEbox Narcan Kit Distrubtion

Through collaboration between the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Overdose Response, the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), and the Maryland Peer Advisory Council (MPAC), Baltimore Goes Purple introduces ONEbox Narcan Kits.The Mayor’s Office, MTA, and MPAC are placing and maintaining naloxone ONEboxes in metro stations across Baltimore to ensure that residents can easily access naloxone and naloxone training in their neighborhoods.

Sean Craig (CPRS), Installing ONEbox at Upton Subway Station.

What is ONEbox

The ONEbox Classic is a durable, lightweight, and mountable or transportable emergency response unit designed to save lives and promote safety in public spaces.
Each unit includes:

  • PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

  • High-resolution video display with a 1-minute bilingual emergency instruction video

  • 5+ minute educational content on overdose response, harm reduction, and connecting to local recovery supports

988: Connecting Baltimore to Compassionate Crisis Support

MPAC and Baltimore Goes Purple Together believe that every call for help deserves a compassionate, human response rooted in care, dignity, and genuine connection. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a critical resource for emotional and crisis support — offering immediate help to anyone experiencing mental health, substance use, or behavioral health challenges.

Here in Central Maryland, we are proud to stand among more than 80 community partners working to strengthen a local 988 network that delivers high-quality, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive care for all who reach out in their moment of need.

Across Baltimore, this network is expanding to include neighborhood-based clinics, a referral network for ongoing care, and mobile crisis response teams.💜 If you or someone you know is in crisis, dial 988 — help is here, 24/7.

2025. MPAC All Rights Reserved. Proudly Created in honor of Tiarra & Myka

Community Canvassing

Building a Connected Community

What We Do

We believe change happens at the neighborhood level. Our Community Canvassing Program brings awareness, resources, and conversations directly to Baltimore’s doorsteps. By going block by block, we meet people where they live, listen to their stories, and connect them to the resources that can make a difference.Community canvassing isn’t just about handing out flyers—it’s about creating trust, reducing stigma, and building stronger, healthier neighborhoods.

Door-to-Door
Engagement

Sharing Knowledge & Breaking Stigma

Resource
Distribution

Peer-To-Peer Connection

Our canvassing efforts are led by peers—people with lived experience in recovery. This makes the conversations genuine and builds trust with neighbors who may be struggling or have loved ones affected by substance use.

Want Baltimore Goes Purple Together to canvass your neighborhood or join your community event? Let’s connect.

Purple Sites

BGPT is activating Purple Sites across Baltimore — including local businesses, hair & nail salons, & barbershops — as trusted hubs for information and support.Each site receives:

  • Narcan and PPE supplies

  • 988 crisis and recovery resource materials

  • Training and support from MPAC’s peer specialists

These partnerships turn everyday community spaces into safe access points for help, compassion, and healing.

2025. MPAC All Rights Reserved. Proudly Created in honor of Tiarra & Myka

Peer Support

Peer support is the foundation of our work—offering understanding, guidance, and connection from those with lived experience. Our Peer Specialists help individuals navigate substance use, mental health, and behavioral health challenges by building trust and linking them to the care and community resources they need.

One-On-One Peer Support, Outreach, And Linkages To Services:

Peer Navigation

Outreach

Linkage

You Can Save a Life

If you See Something, don't run CALL 911. Maryland's Good Samaritan Law protects you.
Every Second Counts. Every Life Matters.

Post-Overdose Support

Recovery doesn’t end after an overdose is reversed. We provide ongoing peer support and service navigation to ensure individuals and families are not left to navigate the aftermath alone.

Together, we are building stronger, more informed communities by empowering individuals and creating pathways to recovery.

2025. MPAC All Rights Reserved. Proudly Created in honor of Tiarra & Myka

Get Involved

Join us in building a healthier, more connected Baltimore. We encourage support through volunteering, partnerships, or community outreach. Your involvement helps expand access to recovery resources and support for those who need it most.

Volunteer

Partner With Us

Community Outreach

Break The Stigma!

Baltimore Goes Purple Together, is committed to breaking the stigma surrounding prevention, substance, mental, behavioral health, and recovery.We believe that everyone deserves a chance to heal. Through open conversations, community collaboration, and access to resources, we empower individuals to become knowledgeable and seek support without fear of judgment.

Words-Matter Change the Script

  • Addiction is not a moral failing—it is a public health issue that affects individuals, families, organizations, and communities.

  • Use person-centered language to reduce stigma with substance use disorders.

  • Support prevention, treatment, and long-term recovery by fostering awareness, education, and compassion.

Join us as we unite for a healthier, stronger Baltimore—because recovery is possible, and every voice matters.

Connect With Us

2025. MPAC All Rights Reserved. Proudly Created in honor of Tiarra & Myka

Program Impact

Building a Healthier, More Connected Baltimore

We measure impact by the lives touched and the connections built. Through community partnerships, peer-led outreach, and public education, we’re creating safer, more informed neighborhoods across Baltimore — where recovery is possible, and every voice matters.

Our Goal: By 2026

Together with the Maryland Peer Advisory Council (MPAC), The Mayor's Office of Overdose Response and The Maryland Transit Authority (MTA) community partners, BGPT aims to reach and engage Baltimore residents through education, resource distribution, and compassionate outreach.

We focus on high-priority neighborhoods with the highest impact from overdose and behavioral health disparities:
21215 | 21216 | 21217 | 21223 | 21225 | 21218

Clicking this image will open an interactive map of Overdose Responses in Baltimore City.

Our outreach teams conduct door-to-door canvassing and pop-up events to bring harm reduction resources directly to residents — including Narcan, 988 cards, and linkage to care.
We collect engagement through sign-ins, feedback forms, and quick digital surveys to ensure our efforts meet real community needs.

Peer-Led Outreach

Our trained Peer Recovery Specialists lead outreach events, connecting directly with individuals where they live, work, and gather.
Each year, we will host peer-led outreach events, reaching hundreds of residents through:

  • Street-level engagement

  • Small business collaborations

  • Resource distribution and recovery conversations

Training & Education

We believe education saves lives.
Our community training sessions focus on:

  • Narcan administration and overdose response

  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline awareness for emotional and mental health support

  • Person-centered communication that reduces stigma and fosters empathy

  • Awareness of Maryland’s Good Samaritan Law

Community Events & Conversations

Quarterly Community Conversations bring residents, peers, and professionals together to talk openly about:

  • Harm reduction and prevention

  • Mental and behavioral health

  • Recovery stories and stigma reduction

Community Business Engagement

Through our “Community Canvassing” initiative, BGPT is activating Purple Sites across Baltimore — including local businesses, hair salons, barbershops, and nail salons — as trusted hubs for information and support.
Each site receives:

  • Narcan and PPE supplies

  • 988 crisis and recovery resource materials

  • Training and support from MPAC’s peer specialists

💜 Join the Movement

Be part of Baltimore’s growing recovery network.

Host a Purple Site

Volunteer

Request Training

Take The Pledge

Take the Pledge

2025. MPAC All Rights Reserved. Proudly Created in honor of Tiarra & Myka

Events

✨ Upcoming events coming soon — check back for updates!Stay connected with BGPT's upcoming community pop-ups, and recovery-centered events. We’re building spaces for learning, connection, and empowerment across Baltimore.

2025. MPAC All Rights Reserved. Proudly Created in honor of Tiarra & Myka

Connect With Us

We’d love to hear from you. Reach out for program details, partnership opportunities, or support resources—we’re here to help.

2025. MPAC All Rights Reserved. Proudly Created in honor of Tiarra & Myka